GEAR UP Massachusetts featured in New Bedford Standard Times!
October 15, 2011
Grant to help college-bound New Bedford students
Spring 2011 Carnival of Learning at John Duggan Middle School in Springfield, MA
The Carnival of Learning is an early awareness event sponsored by The Massachusetts Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA) and organized by members of the MASFAA Early Awareness and Outreach Committee in collaboration with GEAR UP Massachusetts. The primary goal of the Carnival of Learning is to educate students about the importance of postsecondary education and the financial aid resources available to assist them.
The 8th grade GEAR UP students at John Duggan Middle School were taken around to different college booths where they learned about the college and a specific major at that school. The colleges/universities that were in attendance included: Nichols College (Sports Management), Western New England College (Criminal Justice and Computer Science), Fisher College (Commercial Art), University of Massachusetts at Amherst (Engineering), Springfield College (Sports/Athletic Training) and Massachusetts School of Law (Law).
The students also heard from GEAR UP graduates from Central High School in Springfield (where many of the students plan to attend school next year) who are currently attending college. They got to ask questions about college life and see that postsecondary education is attainable. The students went home with backpacks filled with information about college for their parents, Frisbees, pens and college water bottles. The informative day showed the Duggan students that college is for them and postsecondary education is within reach!
Shown here are students at the Western New England College Criminal Justice booth learning about fingerprinting. The instructor is actually a student at WNEC, studying Criminal Justice so she was able to share personal experiences with the students on what it is like to attend the college. Many students at Duggan were interested in “CSI” and were enthralled at this booth, where they were shown how fingerprints show up at a crime scene and how the scene is laid out in order to investigate.
Students were given a lesson on financial savings by the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA). The students were given a choice: they could take a million dollars right away or they could take a penny and put it in the bank where it would double in value every day for a year. Which was the better choice in the end? The penny! The students got to see the value of saving and learned the importance of starting early!
Don’t they look like they are having fun? At the Nichols College booth students learned about Sports Management and the different career paths they could take with the degree – professional athlete, sports agent, manager, etc. Students also got to take a look at all types of sports equipment. The bison is the mascot for Nichols College and the students had a blast trying on the mascot’s head!
Students got to design their own graduation caps with an unlimited supply of stickers, glitter, markers and other decorations. Many wrote what high school they were attending next year on their caps, proud to move on and graduate. After the decorating the students took a picture with their caps and their friends. Overall, it was a great event where students got to learn about college while having fun!